Today, Labour Day (International Workers’ Day), we’d like to pay special tribute to all the working women around the world. Farm hands and factory workers. Seafarers and office employees. And yes, mothers and housewives – they who work at home without getting paid for their labours. The following painting by Dutch Post-Impressionist painter Vincent van Gogh reminds us of women’s contributions, not only to feeding the world, but to building and maintaining civilisation itself. ~Barista Uno
Oil painting of two peasant women digging on a snow-covered field, by Vincent van Gogh ((1853–1890)
Hi Barista,
Your special tribute is so befitting the May Day. I join you in expressing admiration to all the working women. May they shine in their endeavours.
Thanks very much for your comment, Radhika. There’s a reason we’re paying tribute to working women. It can be found in the 19th-century poem by William Ross Wallace, which we’re pleased to share here with you and other readers:
‘The Hand That Rocks The Cradle
Is The Hand That Rules The World’
Blessings on the hand of women!
Angels guard its strength and grace,
In the palace, cottage, hovel,
Oh, no matter where the place;
Would that never storms assailed it,
Rainbows ever gently curled;
For the hand that rocks the cradle
Is the hand that rules the world.
Infancy’s the tender fountain,
Power may with beauty flow,
Mother’s first to guide the streamlets,
From them souls unresting grow–
Grow on for the good or evil,
Sunshine streamed or evil hurled;
For the hand that rocks the cradle
Is the hand that rules the world.
Woman, how divine your mission
Here upon our natal sod!
Keep, oh, keep the young heart open
Always to the breath of God!
All true trophies of the ages
Are from mother-love impearled;
For the hand that rocks the cradle
Is the hand that rules the world.
Blessings on the hand of women!
Fathers, sons, and daughters cry,
And the sacred song is mingled
With the worship in the sky–
Mingles where no tempest darkens,
Rainbows evermore are hurled;
For the hand that rocks the cradle
Is the hand that rules the world.
Great tribute & painting, Barista, May I also add that special appreciation be given to all the seafarers’ spouses who keep the family happy, tend to the sick, coach the kids, suffer months of loneliness while their other halves are staring at empty horizons and thinking of home.
Yes, we should have made special mention of seafarers’ spouses. Thank you, James, for reminding us of the things they do for seafarers and especially the children, who have to suffer the absence of one parent.